Dorothy Rae Skidmore Lawrence

Dorothy Rae (nee Skidmore) Lawrence, 91, resident of Tooele, Utah, passed away on March 27, 2021. Dorothy was born April 20, 1929 to Albert LeRoy and Reva Margaret (nee Hutchings) Skidmore in Lehi, Utah. She was the oldest of six children. As a child, Dorothy lived in Delta, Utah and graduated from Delta High School. She attended Woodbury College in Los Angeles, California where she received a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics with a specialty in Fashion Design.

Dorothy met her husband, Joseph (Joe) Lawrence at a dance in Salt Lake City. They married on August 28, 1957 and settled in Ogden, Utah. They had seven children. Throughout their married life, they lived in Ogden; Rockville, Maryland; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and West Valley City, Utah. Joe passed away in 1991. In 2003, Dorothy moved to Tooele, Utah where she lived with her children Kevin, Melanie and Valerie until her passing.

She had many talents and interests which she used to bless the lives of others. She was an outstanding seamstress and crafter; she loved gardening, music, animals, children and was an avid genealogist, tracing her roots for many generations along several lines. One of the highlights of her life was taking a genealogy trip to England with her sister and brother-in-law, Muriel and Jim Martin.

As a lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she served in various leadership and teaching positions in her local congregations’ women’s and children’s organizations. She had a strong, unshakable testimony of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon and other scriptures, temple work and the importance of families. She loved sharing her beliefs with others and loved hearing about their beliefs as well.

Dorothy especially loved her family. She was proud of her heritage and loved her parents and her siblings and their families. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She had a beautiful smile and treated others with respect, dignity and kindness regardless of their age, race, religion or situation in life. She was quick to find the good in others, stand up for what she believed was right and good, and to help others in whatever way she could. She faced challenges and struggles with hope, determination, resourcefulness, and creativity. Her love, wisdom and friendship will be missed by many.

She is survived by three sons: Keith (Becky) Lawrence, Glen Lawrence and Joseph Kevin Lawrence; three daughters: Janine (Steve) Barwick, Melanie Lawrence and Valerie Lawrence; ten grandchildren: Ryan (Mindy) Rivera, Amy (Jason) Moore, Lee Barwick, Joseph (Sierra) Barwick, Sandra Barwick, Danielle Barwick, Maren Barwick, Michael Lawrence, Nathan Barwick and Taylor Barwick; and nine great-grandchildren. Survivors also include her sisters Muriel Martin and Margaret (Peggy) Mabe; and her sister-in-law Christine Lawrence.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband; one daughter, Colleen Lawrence; her daughter-in-law Patricia (Patty) Lawrence; her parents; two brothers Ralph and LeRoy Skidmore; and her sister Aldeen Nielsen.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, April 1, 2021, 11:00 a.m. at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road, Taylorsville, Utah, where a viewing will be held prior to services from 10:00-10:45 a.m.  Interment, Washington Heights Memorial Park, Ogden, Utah.

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